The Last Goodbye
by Sunsick Puppy
Summary: A thousand years ago, he faced his lover in battle. A thousand years later, he faces him once more. Sephiroth x Cloud


Title: The last goodbye

Genre: Angst/ Sephiroth x Cloud

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy 7 and its characters do not belong to me. They belong to Square Enix.

_Author's Notes: After lurking around in the FF7 for a long long while, i present my first contribution to the FF7 slash fandom. I've always found the SxC pairing very tragic, simply becuase their fates were so...well, tragic. So yeah...i actually cried writing this. Can you believe that?_

_Anyway, readability's a 83.3 i think. Can't exactly remember the exact number._

* * *

A thousand years ago, he killed him.

A thousand years later, he had to do so again.

He wondered why this was so?

Why?

He who was immortal, forever by his mother's side as she whispered poisoned words into his ears. And he himself, damned to kill him once again. Like the last time and the time before last.

He wondered when it would end.

He wondered why it had to be he who had to strike the last blow. Always strike the last blow and watch as his life slipped, no…ebbed away from him, as did the insanity and the hold Jenova had over him. And as always, all that was left was him. Purely him…

The fact both delighted and anguished him. Delighted because he was there, somewhere within the insanity, and that all was not lost. Someday, someday he knew he could get him back. He knew it with a certainty in his heart – though it was wavering and fading each day as from a thousand years ago. But he would not give up. Not unless he was dead. He would not give up.

The anguish was apparent, as always, for the last thing he had to see was him, him, purely him, die. Not the devil. Not the monster. Not the son that called the alien mother. Not that one-winged angel but him. The one he loved. The one he still loved. The one that loved him. The one that still did.

The thought seared and scorched his battered heart and he willed back the tears. This was not the time to cry – he told himself harshly. There would be time to do so later. As always. There would be time to mourn for the one he loved, the one he still loved, later. After he saved the world, he would mourn and he would watch. As he always did, he would watch as his life drained away with the blood that soaked the Earth. He would watch his lover die.

"Hello my puppet. Once again, we meet and this time, I will kill you." His mouth curled into a snarl and yet, Cloud could not help but feel that he was beautiful, even after a thousand years.

"Sephiroth," he said - eyes anguished and angry as he locked gazes with the lover that was not.

Sephiroth smirked at him, or was it Jenova? He couldn't bear the thought that it was Sephiroth. His lover, the one he knew was in there somewhere, would never have such a sinister look. Not towards him at least. Never towards him.

"Prepare to die," he said - voice hollowed and emotionless. His eyes flashed with anger and in a flash, the Masamune was unsheathed and he was lunging towards him – no, gliding towards him, movements graceful like he remembered him to be.

He brought the Ultima weapon up just in time for his assault and was accosted with the familiar jarring feel of sword against sword.

"How many times has it been, puppet?" Sephiroth…no, Jenova, asked, voice fluid and surprisingly gentle. Cloud blinked back the tears before they even formed as the haunting memory of his lover, gentle and sweet, appeared in his mind's eye.

"Too many," he said, concentrating more on the sword assault than him.

Sephiroth smirked, and Cloud remembered it to be gentle and playful once. Now, all that was left was evil. The thought burned him and as their swords clashed, they both pushed back and there was once again, distance between them.

"Let him go, Jenova." Anger laced through his words. "Let him go." The words were familiar. Why wouldn't they be? He had after all, said this every time for a thousand years.

The look that crept up Sephiroth's face was definitely Jenova. "No. He is mine." And with that, Sephiroth struck once more.

This time, the attack was fast and furious, as if it was Jenova's way of torturing him. As if her claim on Sephiroth wasn't torture enough. The battle dragged on, neither party relenting. He had gotten stronger, Cloud realized as he parried blow after blow. But so had he.

And he struck, finally drawing blood. Sephiroth spared his wound a moment's glance and the next thing he knew, Masamune was lodged in his heart.

His eyes widened in surprise. He didn't even see him move. He felt rather than saw himself collapse on the dark blackened earth, his head hitting the ground with an internal jarring sound that echoed.

And for a moment, that was all he heard. The pain was hot, searing and intense and he could feel the dampness on his chest spread. He was dying. The thought…didn't faze him. It was bound to happen sometime…only, who was going to save Sephiroth now that he was dead?

As far as he knew, there was no one else in the world that was his equal. There was no one else that could save him. His eyes were dry and unfocussed, and he could not see anything.

He could not see anything he wanted to see. That silver hair, that green in his eyes, that gentle tender look he missed so much. It suddenly occurred to him that he would never see that look again, nor will anyone else. Jenova would never let him go, and now that he had failed, Sephiroth would never be free.

The tears that he had been fighting to keep away now broke free, sliding down to meet the blackened earth. He had failed his lover. The thought was too much to bear and he tried to stand, only that he couldn't. He couldn't even feel his limbs anymore.

A black cloak suddenly shifted into view and he saw the green eyes, as familiar to him as his own heartbeat. They were tender, they were sweet. They were exactly like his most precious memories. Was this how death was like?

"Cloud…no," he said, voice a mere whisper. "No…what have I done?" His voice was anguished and it hurt Cloud to hear him so sad.

He smiled - a serene sweet thing. "It's okay. I'm here with you. It's okay." His eyes were anguished, even more so than before and he felt himself being lifted up and cradled to his chest.

"It's not okay. You're dying and there's nothing I can do. There's nothing I can do." He whispered, and Cloud could see the tears pooling in those beautiful green eyes.

"It's okay. I'll be here with you all the way." He said as the darkness started to envelop him. "It'll be okay." Those green eyes he loved so much – he finally saw them, untainted and loving. Except this time…it would be the last goodbye.

He would never have to fight him again. Instead, he would fight with him. There would be a way and he would find it. He would never ever…leave him.

His arms tightened around him and he felt the splash of a tear. "I'm so sorry." He said, because that was all he could say – after all these time. "I'm so sorry."

He smiled. "I forgive you."

And then he was gone.

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_HNO3: So, how is it? (Crosses fingers and hopes Seph is not too OOC and that the fight scene isn't too dreadful) I need feedback._


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